The Types of Mailboxes Real Estate Agents Wish You Wouldn’t Install
Homeowners concerned about upping their curb appeal have likely considered improving everything from painting their front door to updating their landscaping. However, there’s one outdoor mainstay real estate agents say is often overlooked when it comes to a front yard refresh: the mailbox. Like many things, mailbox trends come and go, but according to two real estate agents I spoke with, there are some mailbox styles that they wish would continue to go, go, go.
Just say ‘no’ to DIY.
While well done and creative mailboxes have their place in certain areas, Jill M. Ward of CENTURY 21 Island Homes of Hawaii says they must look presentable so that they don’t detract from your home’s curb appeal. “Being from Hawaii, I love the mailboxes framed by surfboards and those covered with tropical prints,” she says. “However, I am not a fan of the DIY-look mailboxes covered with sand or shells or those that look like someone let their preschooler loose on their mailbox with a set of paint.” These types of homemade creations may look better in the backyard where they can be used to store garden tools or in the shed as a seed sorter.
Steer clear of spotlight stealers.
Laura Musall, a Realtor and broker with F.C. Tucker Company in Fishers, Indiana, has a unique take on mailboxes. Not only is she a Realtor, but her mother was a rural mail carrier — which is why she’s especially vocal about which trends should be left in the past. “My opinion of mailboxes: They need to be functional, so they allow mail carriers to do their jobs,” she says, adding that they should just blend into the landscape and not be the focal point.
Avoid political statement pieces.
A surefire way to make Musall cringe when she pulls up to a listing for the first time is to have your political affiliation advertised all over your mailbox.
Not only can mailboxes wrapped in political propaganda be off-putting to your real estate agent, but it may make potential buyers keep on driving. You may want to tuck away your election signs and stickers until after your home is under contract.
Skip utilitarian construction.
Another thing that Musall doesn’t like seeing at a listing is a mailbox that’s been propped up with And mismatched themes, too.
Occasionally themed mailboxes can work in a home’s favor, according to Musall. She points to farmhouses that lean into the vibe with a nod to their agricultural roots by using a tractor mailbox as an example. But she says not every home can pull it off. “I saw a cute Harry Potter mailbox not long ago with a bungalow, which looked very out of place,” she says. “I can’t think of any home style where a Harry Potter mailbox would work unless, of course, the address was Number 4 Privet Drive.”